MovieChat Forums > A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Discussion > The Christmas Tree Scene

The Christmas Tree Scene

posted 10 years ago by AsUSeeMe299
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This is just a stupid thing that always bothers me so I'm curious if I have the time wrong or what the deal is?

After the pie scene, Francie and Neeley are checking out "their tree" in the lot and the guy gets angry and says something about "till midnight" (it's hard to make out exactly what he says, but I assumed that he doesn't throw them until midnight.)

Katie is worried about the kids being "out this late" so I was assuming the midnight thing is correct.

The kids aren't stupid, but a few minutes later they're out yelling in the street in the middle of the night (granted, they're excited.) But then Johnny goes downstairs to help with the tree and they're all singing at the top of their lungs. I always assumed they woke the whole place up, but only one family appears to have been in bed. Everyone else is dressed and in suits and such.

Is everyone just so happy for them that they don't care about the hour(a comraderie amongst those living in poverty)? Were they out at midnight mass or is this just an overlooked detail in the movie? Or am I misunderstanding the time frame completely?

[–] tmaj48 10 years ago

Everyone is happy for them and they don't care about the hour. It was Christmastime, and the neighbors were pleased at this unexpected bit of holiday cheer. Johnny was a charmer and had that effect on people (at least the people
not directly affected by his alcoholism and unreliability, and even then....). He didn't have a fraction of the common sense and pragmatism Katie had, but he was
"The Man People Loved," to quote the title of Francie's short story about him.
Nobody was going to think Katie was so adorable, no matter how practical she was,
and she knew it.

The scene in the book, however, mentions that some of the neighbors were in bed by then and were in their nightgowns, etc.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] ProFromDover (286) 5 years ago

"says something about "till midnight"
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I don't think it was 12AM. I think it was 9pm! Keep in mind it had been dark since about 5pm and snowing. The lot wasn't staying open until midnight that made no sense.